Consider a Mobile Wireless Communication System with multiple access points (AP) that provide service to access terminals (AT). Many systems have an active set, which is a set of APs that have assigned resources to the AT. In most wireless systems (CDMA2000, GSMWWCDMA etc.) this Active Set is determined at the network, on the basis of signal strengths received by the AT from individual APs (the AT reports the signal strength in a Pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM)). This determination of the Active Set by the network has the following problems                1. Need for an Active Set Control protocol to operate between APs for the coordination of the Active Set. This increases the complexity of the inter-AP interactions, particularly when additions to the active set also involve coordination of MAC/PHY parameters across the active set (such as control channel configuration etc.)        2. As the AT moves through the system, the state of the Active Set Control protocol has to be transferred between Controllers. This increases the complexity of handoff, and depending on the design, may create a time interval when the Active Set Control protocol may have to be frozen.        
A current state of the art Call Flow will now be described with respect to drawing 500 of FIG. 1. Drawing 500 includes an access terminal 502, a first access point, APa 504, a second access point, APb 506, and an anchor AP 508.
Consider the case when APa 504 is the currently serving AP and the AT 502 wishes to add APb 506 to the Active Set (say after measuring strong signal strength from APb 506). In this example, pilot signal 510 transmitted from APb 506 is detected and measured by AT 502 and AT 502 measures a strong signal strength as indicated by block 512.                1. AT 502 sends a PilotReport 514 containing the signal strength from different pilots.        2. APa 504 receives this pilot report 514 and forwards the message to the AnchorAP 508 as indicated by signal 516. The AnchorAP 508 parses the message and decides to add APb 506 to the Active Set as indicated by block 518. If APa 504 and APb 506 use different versions of the messages (or protocols) the AnchorAP 508 is able to parse message formats for both versions.        3. AnchorAP 508 sends ActiveSetAddRequest to APb 506, along with a list of other resources being used by the AT as indicated by signal 520.        4. APb 506 assigns a new MAC ID (or connection ID) to the AT 502 and creates resources for the AT corresponding to the resources suggested by the IAP in step 3 as indicated by block 522. APb 506 communicates MAC ID to Anchor AP 508 as indicated by signal 524.        5. Optionally, depending on information exchange with APb 506, AnchorAP 508 may change the resources assigned to the AT 502 by APa 504. For example, Anchor AP 508 sends a Resource Update Request message 526 to APa 504 and receives a Resource Update Response message 528.        6. AnchorAP 508 creates an ActiveSetAssignment message 530 and sends to the AT 502 via APa 504. Active Set Assignment message 532 is communicated from APa 504 to AT 502. The Active Set Assignment (530, 532) contains updated resources from APb 506. At some times, the Active Set Assignment (530, 532) contains updated resources on APa 504. Block 534 indicates that AT 502 adds APb 506 to the active set.        
It should be appreciated that improved methods and apparatus relating to the management of active connections between an access terminal and access points are desirable. For example, improved methods for establishing connections, updating connection information and/or storing information about which APs are being used by an access terminal at a given point in time would be desirable in at least in some but not necessarily all systems.